The Swapped Letters
by Maximan
Summary: Ginger and Mary Ann write love letters to whom they admire on the island. But then the letters accidentally get swapped and it changes everything. Maybe the person they had thought was the one, really isn't. Was it a good thing the letters got swapped? [MAP & G/G]
1. The Letters

**A short MAP & G/G story**

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 **One**

It was a quiet night on the island; too early to be sleeping. All the castaways were off doing their own thing. Ginger and Mary Ann lay in their beds, both daydreaming with smiles on their faces. They didn't notice what one another was doing, until Ginger pointed it out.

"Daydreaming too?" she asked Mary Ann, sitting up in her bed. Mary Ann looked over at her and nodded. "About what?" Ginger asked.

"Someone on the island," Mary Ann answered, still smiling. Ginger rested her back against the wall of the hut, gazing ahead.

"Me too," she said.

Mary Ann continued to lay thinking, until she got an idea. She sprung up in her bed. "Hey, since we both have someone we admire on the island, why don't we write letters to them?" Mary Ann suggested. Ginger moved closer to Mary Ann, interested in what she had to say.

"You mean like love letters?" Ginger asked.

"Yeah," Mary Ann agreed. "I guess you could call them that." Ginger squealed in delight and Mary Ann grinned. They found scraps of paper torn out of one of the Professor's notebooks, and some pens from the Howell's. Ginger got to work on her letter at the table, and Mary Ann wrote her's in her bed. They wrote silently for about thirty minutes, trying to think of the perfect things to say. When they both finished, they each planted a kiss on the page, laving an imprint with there lipstick.

"Done?" Mary Ann said to Ginger after she noticed she had stopped writing.

"Yeah, you?" Ginger asked. Mary Ann nodded, and walked over to Ginger.

"Who did you write to?" Mary Ann wondered. Ginger smiled widely.

"The Professor. You?"

"Gilligan," Mary Ann beamed. "Hey, how about in the morning we get the Skipper to deliver the letters for us," she decided. Ginger thought it was an excellent idea. That way they wouldn't have to face them in person.

It got late, but Mary Ann and Ginger couldn't sleep. Both knew what each other was thinking about. Mary Ann turned in her bed so she could talk to Ginger.

"What do you think will happen after we send the letters?" Mary Ann asked her.

"I don't know. Something good I hope," Ginger replied. When they finally fell asleep, they had dreams about Gilligan and the Professor.

That morning, when all the castaways were up and about and Mary Ann was preparing breakfast, Ginger grabbed both letters from their hut. She looked around for the Skipper, making sure he wasn't with anyone else. She finally found him by himself, fishing.

"Hi Skipper," Ginger greeted. Skipper stopped what he was doing, to talk to her. He noticed the papers in her hands.

"Hi Ginger, whatcha got there?" Skipper pointed to the letters.

"Oh, these are letters me and Mary Ann need you to deliver," Ginger told him. "Deliver this letter to Gilligan," Ginger said, handing him the one with an _M_ on it. "And this one to the Professor." She gave him the other one that had a _G_ on it. The Skipper gladly took them and assured Ginger that he was going to deliver the letters.

After breakfast, when all the food and plates were cleared and everyone went on their way, the Skipper realized something. He hadn't delivered the letters like he had promised Ginger. They were still stuffed in his back pocket, probably crumpled from sitting down. He was collecting bamboo, when he looked around to make sure Ginger or Mary Ann wasn't around. When he pulled the two letters out of his pocket, Mr. Howell came walking by. The Skipper stopped him before he could leave.

"Oh Mr. Howell, can you please deliver these letters to Gilligan and the Professor. I'm very busy and I promised Ginger," the Skipper said.

"Sure, sure whatever," Mr. Howell said, not really caring or paying attention to what the Captain was saying. He grabbed the letters from the Skipper and went on his way. Mr. Howell didn't want to deliver the letters. He wasn't some kind of mail man. People were supposed to deliver letters to _him_. Mr. Howell found Gilligan roaming around, on his way to his hut. Mr. Howell waved his hand with the letters to get his attention.

"Gilligan my boy!" Mr. Howell called.

"Hi Mr. Howell," Gilligan said.

"Here." Mr. Howell shoved the letters to Gilligan. "Deliver these to Gilligan and the Professor," he said, before leaving. Gilligan looked at Mr. Howell then at the letters. He said one of them was supposed to be his, but Mr. Howell didn't specify which one, so he assumed the first one. He tore it open and read the whole letter through. After he gasped at what the letter said and who it was from, he ran off to find the Professor.

"Professor, look look!" Gilligan exclaimed when he found the Professor, reading one of his science books. The Professor looked up to see an excited and panting Gilligan, trying to catch his breath.

"What is it Gilligan?" the Professor asked. Gilligan waved his open letter at the Professor.

"I got a letter from an admirer, and she planted a kiss on it, see!" Gilligan shoved the letter in the Professor's face.

"Let me see Gilligan," the Professor pulled Gilligan's arms back so the letter wasn't directly in his face. He read the letter, and was surprised when he saw the lipstick printed kiss on the bottom of the page.

"This one's for you," Gilligan said, handing him his letter. The Professor opened it and read it. He too found a printed kiss.

"Is it like mine?" Gilligan asked.

"Yeah," the Professor said. He wasn't that interested at first, until he saw who it was from. But because he wasn't much of a romantic, he didn't bother to do anything. Gilligan on the other hand, decided he would write a letter back for the fun of it. He tried convincing the Professor to write one too.

So that night, Gilligan and the Professor wrote their letters. Gilligan had no problem writing it, but the Professor had a hard time thinking of stuff to write that wasn't too boring or scientific sounding. When he finally collected some words to put in the letter, he folded it up and tucked it away in a book for later. He then got into his bed on the floor of the supply hut and went to sleep peacefully.

 _To be continued..._

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 **I would love the reviews! :)**


	2. The Mishap

**Two**

The next morning wasn't like any other morning. There seemed to be an extra spark of excitement and joy in four of the seven castaways. The Skipper and the Howell's noticed it. Gilligan came out of his hut, grinning from ear to ear. The Professor was up greeting everyone and the girls were humming cheerfully as they made the biggest breakfast they had ever made since getting stranded.

The Skipper couldn't figure out why they were acting this way. It's not like they were going to get rescued. Nothing had floated onto the island that day. Maybe there was something he didn't know? No, that couldn't be possible since Gilligan knew already. They were probably just a having a really good morning.

After breakfast, Gilligan and the Professor both grabbed their letters from where they had hid them the night before. They waited until nobody was around, and they carefully sneaked into the girls' hut to place the letters.

Ginger and Mary Ann were picking berries when they got extremely exhausted from kneeling down on the dirty sand. They decided to take a break so they went to their hut to relax. Mary Ann brought the basket of fruit they had collected and she set it on the table. She went to lay on her bed, but she felt a piece of paper under her body. She pulled it out from her and got a glance of what it was.

"Ginger!" Mary Ann squealed. She leaped off her bed with the letter gripped in her hands. "Gilligan sent a letter back!" she exclaimed in excitement.

"So did the Professor!" Ginger waved her letter in the air as she jumped up and down like a little girl. Both girls sat down to read their letters thoroughly. Mary Ann was captivated by every sentence. She read it over a few times letting Gilligan's words sink into her brain.

"Wow, I didn't know Gilligan could be so thoughtful," Mary Ann said breathlessly. She showed Ginger what Gilligan had wrote.

"He sound's so smart," Ginger said reading it over. Mary Ann nodded in agreement.

"How's your letter?" she asked. Ginger looked back at hers, a bit disappointed.

"I don't know. You would think the Professor would have more to say," she said. Mary Ann saw that Ginger's letter had barley any words. It just said: _I think you're very pretty and I like you too._

"Huh, well at least he got to the point," Mary Ann said. Ginger agreed, but she wanted something more romantic. Something where they could both express their feelings, but not just in a measly old letter. They needed a party.

"A party?" Mary Ann questioned Ginger's idea.

"Yeah, like a dance or a ball," Ginger suggested. "We can have it on the main part of the island with decorations and music." Ginger marveled at her own idea. She pictured herself and the Professor slow dancing to romantic music and as the night went on she hoped to tell him how she felt in person.

"I love dances Ginger, but what good will that do?" Mary Ann asked. Ginger stood next to Mary Ann with a hand on her shoulder. She looked ahead, painting a picture of what she had in mind.

"Picture this," she said, waving her arm across the air. "Gilligan and the Professor come to this party looking all handsome. They ask us to dance and we accept of course." Mary Ann followed along as she imagined it in her head. "Then after we dance for a while, we both tell them how we feel," Ginger finished. Mary Ann grinned.

"I like the sound of that. Let's do it!" she agreed.

Back outside their hut, Gilligan kept pacing around. Sitting at the table, the Professor was trying to read, but he couldn't focus with Gilligan pacing like that. He noticed Gilligan walking past him, with a nervous look on his face. The Professor stopped reading so he could figure out what was going on with him. "Gilligan, why are you pacing like that?" he asked. Gilligan stopped to look at the Professor.

"I'm not pacing," he stated.

"Yes you are," the Professor said. He looked at Gilligan's hands that were shaking. Gilligan sighed.

"I guess I'm so nervous about the letter." He took a seat next to the Professor.

"What's there to be nervous about Gilligan?" the Professor asked.

"What if she laughs, crumples up the letter and throws it across the hut." Gilligan moved his arms in a throwing motion, demonstrating what he thought would happen. The Professor sighed and rolled his eyes. A reaction Gilligan got used to from everyone.

"Gilligan she's the one who sent you a letter in the first place," the Professor reminded him.

"Oh yeah," Gilligan said, but that still didn't make him feel better. He looked down at his shoes that were pressed into the sand. The Professor started to read again, but he saw Gilligan's gloomy expression. He closed his book and took it in his arm as he got up from the table.

"Look Gilligan, there's absolutely nothing to worry about okay? When they read their letters I can assure you that nothing bad is going to happen." The Professor stood beside Gilligan and patted his shoulder for comfort before leaving. Gilligan sat up straight and adjusted his hat. He thought about what the Professor said and it made him feel less scared.

"Gilligan!" he heard his name being called. Mary Ann and Ginger rushed over to him like a pack of wild dogs. "Gilligan!" Ginger and Mary Ann repeated.

"There's going to be a dance tonight, right here on the island," Ginger happily announced.

"And wear your best clothes," Mary Ann added. Gilligan looked at her confused.

"These are my best clothes," Gilligan said, looking down at his red long-sleeve shirt and blue flared jeans that he wore every single day. They didn't say anything because before he knew it, they were off to find the rest of the castaways to announce the dance.

"Skipper!" Ginger and Mary Ann called when they found him attending to some bananas.

"Hi girls." He grinned as he peeled a banana. "What can I do for you?"

"We just wanted to invite you to our dance we're having tonight," Mary Ann told him.

"A dance?" the Skipper said with wide-eye excitement. Ginger and Mary Ann nodded. "That sounds wonderful."

"Can you pass it on to the Howell's for us?" Ginger asked.

"Sure," the Skipper said, leaving with a bundle of bananas in his arms.

Now they had one more person to invite.

The Professor.

Mary Ann and Ginger stood in front of the supply hut, about to go inside, but Ginger stopped Mary Ann. She pushed Mary Ann's arm away from the door.

"Can I do this one by myself?" Ginger asked Mary Ann.

"Sure." Mary Ann smiled.

Ginger opened the supply hut door slowly so she wouldn't disturb him. Inside she saw the Professor diligently working on yet another contraption. On the table there were tools scattered around, pieces of bamboo, and tree vines. "Hi Professor," Ginger said.

"Hm," the Professor muttered. He was too focused on his project to pay to attention to her. Ginger crossed her arms, frustrated.

"Hello Professor," she said more sweetly this time, hoping he would notice. The Professor continued to pay more attention to the man-made object on the table, then at the girl who was trying to win his heart. Ginger had enough and she stormed off feeling greatly offended.

"So how did it go?" Mary Ann eagerly asked, not knowing that what had happened in there was a total let down for Ginger.

"It didn't," Ginger huffed. "He didn't pay any attention to me. He was too busy with his dumb old contraption."

Mary Ann gave her a small grin and an I-feel-your-pain look. "Let me try," Mary Ann offered, walking into the hut to give it a go. Ginger followed behind, but she stayed close to the door.

"Hi Professor," Mary Ann said cheerfully. Mary Ann smiled as she walked towards the Professor. Upon hearing her voice, he instantly perked up and dropped one of his tools on the table.

"Hello Mary Ann. Why you're looking quite beautiful today," the Professor told her. Mary Ann blushed at the surprise compliment

"Thank you Professor," Mary Ann said. In the back, witnessing everything, Ginger clutched part of her dress in a fist full of rage.

"So what brings you into the supply hut while I'm working today?" he asked, smiling.

"I just wanted to invite you to the dance me and Ginger are having tonight," she told him. The Professor gave her a warm smile.

"That sounds great," he said delighted. Mary Ann smiled at him and waved goodbye as she left. Ginger stood still with her hands on her hips.

"Well that was easy," Ginger barked to Mary Ann.

...

That evening the girls' had decorated the main part of the island with hand-made decorations. First, they had strung together flowers for a long banner and hung it on the trees. Then on the table they arranged fruits and more flowers and the record player for the music to dance to. They had also prepared food and deserts for a meal after the dancing. Mary Ann of course made Gilligan's favorite: coconut cream pie. She hoped to eat it with him after they dance and she told him how she felt.

Ginger and Mary Ann sat at the table as they waited for their "guests" to arrive. Mary Ann nervously tapped her fingers on the table while Ginger had a hard time sitting still. Finally the first people to arrive were the Howell's and that made the girls' calm down a bit. They greeted each other and the Howell's took a seat at the table. Not far behind the Skipper came over and sat next to them. Now there was only two more people left. The two people whom Mary Ann and Ginger were waiting the whole night for. As they saw Gilligan and the Professor walking towards them, their anxious nerves were back.

"Hello Ginger," Gilligan said as he took off his hat for courtesy. He had his shirt tucked in and his hair combed to the side. Ginger noticed Gilligan's smile wasn't like any other smile he had ever given her before. It was bashful and sweet, but made her puzzled. The Professor gave Mary Ann the same type of smile, but his was more sophisticated. Before Ginger could say anything, the Professor had pulled Mary Ann away to dance. Mary Ann looked back at Ginger; both were bewildered.

"Come on Ginger, let's dance like them," Gilligan said as he gently pulled her from the table and next the Professor and Mary Ann.

"But Gilligan!" Ginger cried out.

"It's okay Ginger, I'm not that good at dancing either." Gilligan smiled at her as he held her waist and they danced. Ginger kept looking back at the Professor and Mary Ann and she could see she was having the same problem.

"I'm sorry Professor," Mary Ann said. She stared up into his eyes, giving him a sincere look as they danced.

"Don't worry, I'm terrible at dancing too," the Professor said. He had one arm around her waist and the other holding her hand.

"It's not that Professor," Mary Ann said. "Would you excuse me for a moment." She let go of his hand and pulled herself away from the Professor's arms. Ginger took the queue and did the same with Gilligan. Mary Ann pushed Ginger aside to talk.

"I thought you wrote your letter to the Professor?" Mary Ann whispered.

"And you said you wrote to Gilligan," Ginger whispered back. They both looked back at the Professor and Gilligan who were awkwardly standing, waiting for the girls' to come back.

"I did send my letter to Gilligan," Mary Ann told her.

"And mine to the Professor," Ginger said. The girls' put their hands on their hips and gave each other a questioning look.

"We need to tell them the truth because obviously their into us," Mary Ann said. Ginger agreed, and they both nervously went back to their dancing partners. Mary Ann smiled at the Professor, assuring him that everything was okay even though it wasn't. He could see right through it and gave her a concerning look in his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked. Mary Ann sighed and looked down at the sand.

"You know the letters?" The Professor nodded.

"I meant to send mine to Gilligan," Mary Ann explained. "And you were supposed to get Ginger's." The Professor froze and stopped dancing, but he still held Mary Ann's hand.

"Oh." His voice cracked, looking into her eyes. Mary Ann felt her heart break. She thought she was doing the right thing by telling the Professor the truth, but it made her feel worse. Things weren't going too well for Ginger either.

"Gilligan I'm sorry!" Mary Ann heard Ginger yell. Gilligan was standing feet away from Ginger, hurt.

"The Professor lied!" he yelled. "He said nothing bad would happen!" Gilligan threw his hat to the ground and stormed off. Everyone looked at each other, wordless.


	3. The Lunch Date

**Three**

The next day, Mary Ann and Ginger felt awful about everything. Even though the mix up wasn't their fault, they still felt responsible. If they hadn't send those letters in the first place, none of this would have happened. Mary Ann and Ginger wondered how they got into the wrong hands anyway. Did the letters accidentally get swapped? That couldn't of been possible since Ginger specifically told the Skipper which ones to give to Gilligan and the Professor.

The night of the dance was the first time Ginger had really felt empathy for someone else. She felt regards for someones feelings other than herself and it pleased her. When she saw that she had hurt Gilligan, she felt a sadness she couldn't explain. She instantly regretted writing the letter to the Professor. If she had known it was going to end up hurting Gilligan, she probably wouldn't have written one at all.

Mary Ann felt the same way. She remembered how the Professor reacted when she came in the supply hut to invite him to the party. His smile was bigger than any time they had found out they were going to get rescued. He had even complimented her, and for some reason Mary Ann couldn't stop thinking about it. And then seeing the Professor's face after she told him the letter was meant for Gilligan; it broke her heart.

When Mary Ann woke up from a restless night of sleep, she lay in her bed thinking about everything. Ginger had gotten her hopes up, saying it was going to be a great night. A chance to express their feelings to Gilligan and the Professor. But the way things had turned out, she never got the chance to. What were her feelings anyway? She pondered for awhile. Gilligan was charming, sweet and kind. She enjoyed his company. But was it more in a friendly way?

Ginger lay in her own bed, staring at the wall of the hut. She kept replaying Gilligan's hurt voice in her head. It made her feel sad every single time she pictured it. He had thrown his hat in anger on the ground and Ginger kept it next to her bed, hoping to apologize to Gilligan and give to back to him. Ginger thought about how she never got the chance to talk to the Professor like she had planned. Then she remembered how he practically ignored her when she tried to invite him to the party. Ginger noticed whenever she tries to talk to him, he either doesn't pay attention, or starts talking in scientific lingo she never understood. Sometimes she absolutely hated his boring educational speeches. Ginger realized she and the Professor had nothing in common, and Ginger had a hard time believing it. But opposites attract right?

"Mary Ann?" Ginger turned in her bed to look at the brunette. "I feel terrible," she said.

"Yeah me too," Mary Ann agreed. "And not only that, I feel weird."

"About what?" Ginger asked, sitting up in her bed. Mary Ann stared up at the ceiling made of bamboo and leaves. "Everything." She sighed. "I think I really hurt the Professor's feelings," Mary Ann said, almost to herself, but loud enough for Ginger to hear.

"Me too," Ginger said. "I mean Gilligan's not the Professor's of course."

They both sighed at the same time.

"I'm going to talk to the Professor," Mary Ann announced, as she thrust herself out of bed.

"And I'm going to talk to Gilligan," Ginger said, following Mary Ann. They both were about to leave, when a piece of paper slipped under the door. Mary Ann bent down to picked it up. She unfolded so she and Ginger could read it.

 _Dear Girls,_

 _We're sorry for the mix up. Thank you for inviting us to your dance. It was lovely before everything happened. Gilligan and I would like to invite you girls for a lunch date later, and you may eat it with whomever you like._

 _-Professor_

Ginger and Mary Ann looked at each other after reading the letter. They were happy that Gilligan and the Professor weren't mad at them, but the last part of the letter was kind of sad. _"you may eat with whomever you like."_

"Aw, how sweet," Ginger cooed.

"Yeah," Mary Ann agreed. "Come on, lets go see what they're up to." Ginger and Mary Ann changed their clothes for the day and applied their makeup. They went to find Gilligan and the Professor.

The island was quiet that morning, with none of the castaways in sight. Ginger and Mary Ann scouted the area for the boys.

"Where are they?" Ginger wondered as they brushed through some bushes and trees. Mary Ann scanned the area carefully.

"I hope they're not avoiding us," Mary Ann worried.

"Talking about us?" The girls' heard a voice say. Ginger and Mary Ann turned around to find Gilligan and the Professor standing in front of them. Gilligan stayed behind the Professor, not wanting to show his face to Ginger.

"We would like to talk to you guys," Mary Ann said before any other words could be spoken.

"We really want to apologize," Ginger added as sincere as she could. Gilligan quickly shook his hat less head. The Professor nodded, agreeing to talk to Mary Ann. But Gilligan refused to speak to the red head. As the Professor and Mary Ann left to find a place to talk, Ginger pulled Gilligan away.

"Come on," she said. "I've got your hat."

She lead Gilligan to a place where knew no one would be around. Ginger sat on a rock, which wasn't too comfortable then patted the spot next to her for Gilligan. He just stood still, staring at her with no emotion.

"Where's my hat?" he said flatly.

"In my hut," she said. "Come talk, then I'll give it back to you."

Gilligan sat down, agreeing, but only because his head felt bare without is hat.

"There you go." Ginger smiled. "Now I just wanted to apologize again for last night."

"What's there to apologize for? Nothing was your fault. It was the Professor and I who were the stupid ones, thinking you'd actually send us those letters," Gilligan said.

"We did send letters," she said.

"Yeah, but not to who we thought," Gilligan said, disappointed. He put his head down, and they didn't speak for a moment. "You know?" Gilligan looked at Ginger.

"Yes?" Ginger said, looking at him sincere, and ready to listen.

"When I read your letter, I felt like someone else. Not just the dumb guy who can't do anything right," Gilligan said. He looked away, a little embarrassed and afraid of what she would say. Ginger felt like crying. She hadn't intended the letter to be for him, but somehow it effected him in a good way. Ginger wished she could go back in time and tell herself to write her letter to Gilligan.

"Well you know, sometimes I wish I wasn't just seen as the pretty movie star," Ginger confessed. She was hoping to make Gilligan feel better.

"Really?!" Gilligan was shocked.

"Yes." Ginger said. She then realized how they were actually pretty similar. She used to think of him as just a naive boy; always messing things up. But now she saw that they had something in common.

"I'm very sorry Gilligan. I didn't mean to hurt you," Ginger apologized again.

"That's okay," Gilligan said. Ginger stood up and offered her hand to him. She smiled.

"Come on, lets go get your hat," she said.

As Ginger and Gilligan were talking, the Professor and Mary Ann were in the supply hut. Mary Ann had asked him about what he was building the other day. He explained that he was making a metal detector for the Howell's to use. As the two talked, the Professor work at the table.

"Can I tell you something?" the Professor said as he cut pieces of vines. Mary Ann watched him, as he worked diligently.

"Yeah?" Mary Ann said. She noticed the Professor took a deep breath, and he looked nervous. Then he wiped sweat from his forehead with his arm.

"When we first got stranded, I was actually terrified," the Professor began. Mary Ann jokingly gasped. He laughed at her reaction.

"I know it didn't seem like it, but I was on the inside," he continued. "I was scared about what could happen to us, until I got to know you." Mary Ann smiled and put a hand to her heart, greatly touched. "Mary Ann, you seem to make every bad situation go away," he said looking deeply at her. She had no words to say; the Professor was the sweetest guy ever. "When I thought the letter was for me, I got thrilled because I thought you had felt the same way I do," he said.

Mary Ann saw the Professor in a new way. She watched him as he went back to building the metal detector. He got frustrated and threw one of his tools across the table. He gave up on what he was working on and shoved the unfinished metal detector aggressively. He turned to Mary Ann noticing that she got quiet.

"I'm sorry Mary Ann," he apologized. "I didn't sleep well last night."

"That's okay," Mary Ann said, even though she knew it was more than just a bad night of sleep. "I'll let you get some rest." She waved goodbye as she left the hut.

Mary Ann began to wonder if she should take Gilligan and the Professor's lunch date offer, but have lunch with the Professor instead of Gilligan. It seemed like the right thing to do. She just hoped Ginger wouldn't mind.

"Ginger I got to ask you something," Mary Ann said in their hut. Ginger was making her bed and arranging her make up.

"What is it?" Ginger asked. Mary Ann fiddled with her hands, afraid of what Ginger was going to say.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind if I ate lunch with the Professor?" Mary Ann asked. Ginger smiled at her, which made Mary Ann feel better.

"I was going to ask you the same about Gilligan!" Ginger told her. Mary Ann smiled back, happy that she wasn't upset.

"So it's okay?" Mary Ann asked.

"Of course! And you?" Ginger said. Mary Ann nodded, and they exchanged smiles.

...

When it got around lunch time, Mary Ann and Ginger were going to prepare a meal, but they saw that it had already been done. There were two separate tables set up with four plates of fruit, lobster, and green leaves. Who else could have cooked the meal? It couldn't have been Mrs. Howell; she didn't cook. Back at her home, she had butlers that did it for her.

As they were in aw and surprised, the Professor showed up with Gilligan trailing behind him. The Professor grinned when he saw Mary Ann's face looking at the food.

"It took Gilligan and I hours to prepare this. We were up early, figuring out what to make," the Professor explained. Gilligan just nodded quickly.

"Thanks guys," Mary Ann said very grateful. Ginger smiled and pulled Gilligan to a table gently.

"Come on Gilligan lets eat," she said.

"But wouldn't you want to eat with the Professor?" Gilligan asked.

"No I want to eat with you," Ginger told him, sitting in a bamboo chair at the table. Gilligan hesitantly sat down in front of her.

"So you decided to eat with me? the Professor said to Mary Ann at the other table.

"Mhm," she said, taking a bite of the lobster. The Professor grinned at her before jabbing his fork into a piece of pineapple.

As the girls ate and talked with their "dates", they both realized how much they enjoyed listening to them. Gilligan told Ginger stories from back home when he got into trouble with his friends. The Professor and Mary Ann exchanged stories of their experiences with love and friendships.

Mary Ann felt something she never had felt before when she was with the Professor and she couldn't figure out why. She felt like she could tell him anything, and she didn't mind hearing his long lectures. Ginger had a similar feeling with Gilligan. She had associated herself with the Professor, mainly because she knew Mary Ann liked Gilligan. But Ginger was beginning to wonder if she had been wrong all this time.

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 **A/N: As you know this is a short story, so there will probably be only a few chapters left. Thank you to those who reviewed! It really keeps me motivated.**

 **I have another MAP story idea, so I might write it after this one is done. :)**


	4. The Dream

**Four**

That night, Ginger and Mary Ann fell into a deep sleep and they both started to dream...

 _The dream fades into a small village where a Princess named Ginger is strolling through, in a pink sparkly dress, with a cloak over it. She puts on her hood so none of the villagers will recognize her. She also held a basket with apples she had planned on passing around to the villagers._

 _Princess Ginger walked through the town of people gardening, doing laundry, and children running around. Most of the villagers clothes were old and worn out, and some looked like they hadn't bathed in days. Princess Ginger made her way to the children, handing them juicy apples, and they devoured them as soon as the apples reached their hands. Princess Ginger noticed a girl, about her age kneeling down on the dirt washing clothes with her bare hands. Her hair was tousled, she had some dirt on her face and she looked tired, and hungry. Princess Ginger walked closer to the girl so she could give her an apple. The girl didn't even look up. She continued scrubbing clothes in a bucket. Princess Ginger had to speak to get her attention._

 _"Hi," Princess Ginger said to the girl. The girl stopped scrubbing, and looked up to the Princess. Ginger offered her an apple from the basket. The girl grabbed it, but said, "You're not trying to poison me are you?" she joked. The Princess shook her head._

 _"Do I look like an old hag to you? she joked back. The girl laughed and took a huge bite of the apple, feeling satisfied._

 _"What's your name? Princess Ginger asked her._

 _"Mary Ann," she said, with her mouthful. "What's yours?"_

 _"Uh, Ginger," she said, hoping Mary Ann wouldn't figure out she was the Princess._

 _"Hey!" Mary Ann gasped. "Aren't you the Princess?!"_

 _Ginger waved her hands frantically. "Shhh!" she hushed. "I don't want anybody to notice me."_

 _"Sorry," Mary Ann apologized. "Man I wonder what it would be like to live in a huge castle with servants and maids," Mary Ann dreamed. Stuff like that seemed impossible to a girl who lived in a small house, having to work hours everyday._

 _"Trust me it's not all that," Princess Ginger said. "You always have to be perfect, you always have to be graceful and polite," Ginger told her._

 _"Still, anything is better than this life," Mary Ann said opening her arms to the small village packed with people trying to get by with the little they had._

 _"Hey, I have an idea!" Ginger said. "You're about my age. With a small disguise and some make up, you could pass as me."_

 _Mary Ann was puzzled. "What do you mean?" she asked the Princess._

 _"We're going to switch places!" Ginger said. Mary Ann's eyes widened in excitement. She could finally get to experience a different life. A life of a Princess._

 _"Could it really work?" Mary Ann wondered._

 _"It wouldn't hurt to try," Ginger said._

 _When everything was agreed upon, Princess Ginger and Mary Ann exchanged numbers so they could keep in touch and arrange a time to do the switch. At night Mary Ann could hardly sleep, knowing that she would get to experience what it was like to be a Princess. She wouldn't have to wake up at five A.M. every morning to start working. She could almost do whatever she wanted. She would have people to cook for, do her laundry and even make her bed._

 _Princess Ginger wasn't looking forward to working in the garden, but she was excited for a change. Something new, where she didn't have to constantly greet people, be poised and polite. If she didn't feel like washing her hair, no one would care._

 _At the castle the next day, Princess Ginger isolated herself in her big bedroom at the top floor, so she could call Mary Ann without anybody finding out. She was going to arrange the details for the swap. She told her to meet behind at the library between the castle and Mary Ann's village, at noon._

 _When they both showed up, they brought a couple of things that would help with the swap. Princess Ginger had a special red haired wig made for Mary Ann, and a list of things she needed to know if wanted to pass as the Princess. Mary Ann also had a wig and a list for Ginger._

 _"Here put on this dress," Princess Ginger said, handing her a purple sparkly dress. Mary Ann took it and gave her clothes that were far less prettier than Ginger's, to wear. The two wished each other good luck, and went on their way to start the switch._

 _Mary Ann was in aw when she saw the hug castle in front of her. It was beige, with many stories and there were two guards on each side of the big door. She had her disguise on, but she wore a cloak with a hood just in case. The Princess had put make up on Mary Ann so it could help even more, but Mary Ann wasn't use to it._

 _She was hesitant at first, but she made her way to the huge front door, where the two tall guards stood, motionless. When they saw "Ginger" come over, they tipped their hats, and opened the double for for the Princess. Mary Ann couldn't believe she had made it pass the guards as she stepped into the lobby of the castle. It was unlike anything she had ever seen in her life. The whole lobby was probably as big as her entire house. There were photographs everywhere on the walls, of what looked like kings, queens and other royalty figures and a long spiral stair case that led to who knows where. Mary Ann knew she was in for a long ride._

 _"Hello Ginger," she heard someone say. Mary Ann almost forgot to answer since it wasn't her real name. Mary Ann turned around, her dress spinning. Although she wasn't sure, she guessed the lady standing in front of her was Ginger's mother-the Queen._

 _"Hello mother," Mary Ann said in her best Princess voice. She was so nervous that the Queen was going to notice she wasn't her daughter._

 _"Honey, you remember Roy Hinkley?" the Queen said, as a handsome man stepped forward._

 _"Uh," Mary Ann said. She didn't know how to respond, because she never had seen the guy in her life. Ginger had forgotten to mention him._

 _"He's the son of my friend. We set you two up on a date a few weeks ago, remember?" Ginger's mother reminded her._

 _"Oh yeah!" Mary Ann pretended to remember. Roy Hinkley chuckled at her answer and he stepped closer to her. He asked her if she wanted to go on another date, and she had to say yes. Not just because she was posing as Ginger, but also because she thought this guys was very good looking._

 _..._

 _So days went on, and Mary Ann and Ginger couldn't believe they were still passing as each other. At the village Ginger had met a friend of Mary Ann's, named Gilligan. Ginger and Mary Ann were wondering how long it could last. They obviously couldn't do it for months, someone was bound to figure it out. They decided to tell everyone the truth at the ball that was being held at the castle. Mary Ann invited Roy, Ginger and Gilligan. The Queen invited a bunch of other guests._

 _The ball took place at 7:00 P.M., just when it started to get dark. All the guests came around the same time, and the dancing was underway at 7:10. Ginger danced with Gilligan and Mary Ann danced with Roy. Both girls looked at each other and it was their queue to tell them who the really were._

 _"I have to tell you something," Ginger said to Gilligan as they danced. She started to pull off her hood, and her brown wig. Gilligan just smiled, which wasn't the reaction she was expecting. "I'm actually the Princess," she confessed. "Me and Mary Ann switched places, so we could have a feel of a different life."_

 _"I know," he said simply, with a grin._

 _"You do?!" she exclaimed in surprise. He laughed._

 _"Yup! I already figure it out a while ago," Gilligan said._

 _"How come you never told me?!" Ginger asked._

 _"Cause, if I did tell you right away, you'd be back to your life as a Princess and I probably would never get to see you again."_

 _Mary Ann had a similar situation when she revealed to Roy that she wasn't royalty. He wasn't surprised or angry. He had suspected right away that she wasn't the real Princess Ginger._

 _"Somehow I'm glad this happened," Roy told her._

 _"Why?" she asked._

 _"Because I met you," he said. "It's funny how some little switch up could open up something you'd never thought of..."_

That's when Mary Ann woke up from the dream. She sat up in her bed, her mind racing. She kept replaying the last part of the dream. It was so vivid, it almost felt real. Suddenly memories of herself and the Professor flooded her brain. She thought of the times they had spent together on the island, and it made her smile. The Professor and Gilligan were both great men, but she felt different with Gilligan. She was beginning to realize that she only loved him as a friend. Her feelings for the Professor were hidden within Gilligan's, because she assumed Ginger liked the Professor first.

Mary Ann stopped thinking and looked over to Ginger's bed and saw her laying awake, also in deep thought. "Ginger?" Mary Ann called to the red head. Ginger looked to Mary Ann. "Yeah?" she answered.

"I had the craziest dream," Mary Ann told her. "You were a Princess and I was poor and we switched places-"

"Oh my gosh!" Ginger exclaimed, leaping out of bed. "I had the exact same dream."

Mary Ann gasped, amazed. Nothing was said between them because they couldn't believe that they had the same dream. The two knew what each other was thinking. Mary Ann didn't have to ask Ginger if she had felt the same way as she did. They gave each other a nod, knowing what they both had to do.

Meanwhile, the Professor and Gilligan had woken up early and sat on the sand watching the lagoon. For some reason, the letters had made Gilligan and the Professor spend more time together. It made them see each other on the same level.

"Do you think another boat will come?" Gilligan asked.

"No." The Professor sighed. He squinted, looking ahead at the lagoon, feeling the fresh air fill his lungs. He really wanted to get rescued, but the only thing he could think about was Mary Ann.

"Professor, what do you think of Ginger?" Gilligan asked, looking at him.

"She's nice, but not my type," the Professor said. Gilligan smiled, looking ahead across the lagoon.

"I think she's so amazing," he beamed. "I've seen all her movies and I happened to get stuck on an island with her. Can you believe it? he said. The Professor laughed.

"Yeah, we are lucky to be stranded with such lovely women," he said.

As if the girls heard, Ginger and Mary Ann came over to them right on queue. Ginger plopped down next to Gilligan and Mary Ann sat next to the Professor. The boys turned their heads from looking at the lagoon, and looked at the girl's beside them. No words were exchanged. Ginger and Mary Ann smiled at their boys. They didn't tell them how they felt, but their facial expressions told the Professor and Gilligan that things were going to be great. Gilligan, being Gilligan, was a bit confused about what was going on. The Professor looked to the boy and nodded, smiling, and he understood.

The Professor put an arm around Mary Ann and Gilligan copied with Ginger. The four sat together, quietly admiring the view and the company. They weren't sure what would happen next or what the future would hold for them. Whether it be about getting rescued or love. But there was on they _were_ sure of: they were glad the letters got swapped.

 _ **The End**_

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Well that's the end! Thank you to everyone who read this short little story. I've got another idea in mind... stay tuned.**


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